#dirtbike #offroad #twostroke #sports #nature
With the re-invention of its XC-W off-road line, KTM’s two-year top-to-bottom transformation is complete. Model for model, the company’s motorcycles look nothing like they did two years ago. For the 2024 KTM 300XC-W, that means it got a new motor, a new frame and new suspension, just like the motocross bikes did one year ago. But, this isn’t just a repackaging of the same parts. The 300XC-W is a different bike with a completely different purpose.
Traditionally the Ws are more about power quality than quantity, and in keeping with KTM tradition, they are built around PDS no-link rear suspension. Accordingly, the frame was redesigned from scratch with PDS in mind. It wasn’t like they could just take last year’s SX suspension and just remove the linkage. It doesn't work like that. This shock is similar to the one on the SX, but it has a different body and radically different internals. Now it has a straight-rate spring, whereas last year’s PDS bikes all had progressive springs. It also has clickers that can be adjusted by hand; even the rebound adjuster on the bottom.
There’s bigger news up front. The open-cartridge WP Xplor fork is gone. In its place is a coil-spring version of the Xact fork that comes on the competition bikes. It has a closed cartridge and now the two fork legs are more-or-less symmetrical--no more split design with the rebound damping on one side and the compression on the other. Those legs are clamped in place by a new forged and machine-finished triple clamp, unlike anything KTM has used before.As for the motor, it’s a whole new game. Transfer port injection is completely gone in the KTM line, replaced now by throttle-body injection. Most riders felt the greatest thing about TPI was that it forced the adaptation of oil injection on the XC-W models. KTM kept that, so you still have the little oil filler in front of the gas cap and you don't have to dig out your ratio rite. Transfer port Injection originally came in 2018 as a means to have street-homologated two-stroke in some parts of Europe. Now, KTM has attained similar results with throttle body injection, which, as it turns out, offers significant advantages for peak horsepower. TPI was smooth and great for trail riding, but the new system definitely has more bark. Along with the injection system comes an electronic power valve which opens up a whole new world for tuning. So far, we have just scratched the surface as far as mapping possibilities with different combinations of fuel delivery, spark advance and port timing. The 300XC-W doesn't come with a map switch, but there are two different maps pre programmed into the ECU. Trust us, you should buy a map switch when you get the bike.To help us out with the testing we brought along Carson Brown, who is one of the most well-known two-stroke fanatics in the sport and one of very few riders who has scored National Motocross points on a two-stroke. We turned and the him loose on the Russell ranch--it was fun to watch.KTM invited us to ride all the new XC-Ws the day after the John Penton GNCC at Sunday Creek Raceway. We brought Carson Brown along as our primary test rider because … well, he’s Carson Brown. After a day riding in the Ohio woods and on a grass track, Carson came back completely stoked on the 300XC-W. It’s clear that KTM now sees the bike as more competition oriented than ever before. First on the list; it’s powerful, but it doesn’t hit uncontrollably down low. It’s actually kind of mellow at low rpm, even in the more aggressive green map. In the middle it’s far, far stronger than the previous version and it revs out much further. Last year’s 300XC cross-country bike is a more valid comparison. That bike was so closely related to the motocross version that it was a difficult bike to use off road. In the green map it was so aggressive and so abrupt that very few riders could make it work properly in technical terrain. The white map was a big step down. It needed something in between. That’s where the XC-W power delivery fits. The green map is excellent for aggressive trail riding and racing, and you don’t have to be Carson Brown to hold on. As far as overall handling goes, this bike is much racier feeling than it has been in the past. The frame is more rigid,the suspension is stiffer and it feels more like a race bike. The actual frame geometry isn’t that different; it’s all about flex characteristics, suspension and ergonomics. Even the PDS rear end is stiffer and stays up in its travel a little higher. In the past, there was a big divide between PDS fans and linkage devotees. Those walls are going to crumble. Even at speed, there’s no real drawback to the PDS system, and you still get advantages in ground clearance and weight. Our encounter with the bike was brief, but we have a 300XC-W coming for long-term evaluation. Stay tuned.
25 май 2023
